Ringless spinning machine

ABSTRACT

A COTTON CLOGGING-PREVENTIVE DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUS RINGLESS SPINNING MACHINES. THE DEVICE HAS A ROTARY SPINNING CHAMBER HAVING A FIBER COLLECTING SURFACE AND OPERATING UNDER SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. ROTARY TRANSFER BODIES FOR TRANSFERRING FIBERS ARE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ROTARY SPINNING CHAMBER AND THE FIBER FEED PART INCLUDING A COLLECTOR, AND A CASING SURROUNDS SAID ROTARY TRANSFER BODIES AND HAS AN AIR INLET CHANNEL DIRECTED TO THE SPINNING CHAMBER. BETWEEN SAID ROTARY TRANSFER BODIES AND THE CASING WALL THERE IS PROVIDED IN THE CASING WALL AN AIR INLET HOLE FOR ADMITTING AIR FROM THE OUTSIDE.

14, 1971 TOSHIICHI NARUSE 3,625,681

RINGLESS SPINNING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

I nvenlor By w A ttorneyS 1,971 TOSHIICHI NARUSE 3,626,631

RINGLESS SPINNING MACHINE Filed July 31. 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet I lljlllllylllll Tum/rm AIM/1; a

I nvenlor B y \L A tlorneyS Dec. 14, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July551, 1969 FIGS I nvenlor United States Patent 3,626,681 RINGLESSSPINNING MACHINE Toshiichi Naruse, Kariya, Japan, assignor to KabushiklKaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho and Daiwa Boseki Kabushiki KaishaFiled July 31, 1969, Ser. No. 846,503 Claims priority, applicationJapan, Aug. 8, 1968, ifs/68,084; Feb. 28, 1969, 44/18,575 Int. Cl. D01h1/12, 11/00 US. Cl. 5758.91 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cottonclogging-preventive device for continuous ringless spinning machines.The device has a rotary spin- The present invention relates toimprovements in a continuous ringless spinning machine, which producesspun yarn directly from a sliver of staple fiber, such sliver being fedto a feed roller and combed by a combing roller peripherally providedwith a saw tooth wire to separate and parallelize the fibers. The fibersare then introduced into a rotary spinning chamber having asubatmospheric pressure therein by a stream of air produced by saidsubatmospheric pressure and are centrifugally forced to adhere to afiber collecting surface provided on the maximum inner diameter portionof said spinning chamber. The fibers thus adhere to the fiber collectingsurface and are caught by the end of a twisted yarn leading from apackage and are twisted while being successively rolled and withdraw bythe action of takeup rollers to form a spun yarn.

In the aforesaid ringless spinning machine, the rotary transfer bodiessuch as the feed roller and combing roller disposed between a fiber feedand the rotary spinning chamber have their lateral surfaces surroundedby the Wall of a casing with a small clearance maintained therebetweenshort fibers tend to enter said clearance and accumulate therein. If theamount of accumulation increases too greatly, the rotating ability ofthe rotary transfer bodies decreases to detract from the quality of thespun yarn, or if the amount further increases, damage to the machine mayresult.

These disadvantages are attributable to the fact that the rotation ofthe rotary transfer bodies creates a subatmospheric pressure in thespace between the rotary transfer bodies and the wall of the casingsurrounding them so that short fibers tend to enter the space togetherwith air.

Further, the aforesaid disadvantages are also attributable to the factthat on the side of the fiber feed, the feed roller surface and combingroller surface are closely adjacent to each other and in this conditionthe feed roller is rotating at a low speed while the combing roller isrotating at an extremely high speed so that in the region of adjacencybetween both rollers the air pressure becomes increased to the extentthat air containing short fibers tends to enter the clearance betweenthe feed roller and the wall of the casing surrounding the feed roller.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaiddisadvantages by providing one or more air inlet holes in the wall ofthe casing surrounding the rotary transfer bodies disposed between thefiber feed and the rotary spinning chamber in order to allow air fromthe outside (ambient atmosphere) to flow into the clearance between saidrotary transfer bodies and said casing wall so that the inflow air fromsaid air inlet hole is introduced into the fiber transfer passageway.

Another object of the invention, in view of the fact that there is aphenomenon in which air-borne short fibers enter the clearance betweenthe combing roller and the casing wall surrounding said combing rolleras the high speed rotation of said combing roller creates asubatmospheric pressure in said clearance, is to provide a device forpreventing such short fibers from entering said clearance, wherein thecasing wall adjacent to the lateral surface of the combing roller isprovided with an air inlet hole communicating with the outside.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fiberclogging-preventive device wherein the casing wall adjacent to thelateral surface of the feed roller is provided with an air inlet holecommunicating with the atmosphere for precluding the phenomenon in whichat a position where the high speed rotating combing roller and the lowspeed rotating feed roller approach each other, and under the influenceof the rotation of the combing roller, airborne short fibers enter theclearance between the feed roller and the casing wall surrounding thesame and such short fibers accumulate therein.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section showing an arrangement according to thepresent invention for preventing the clogging of fibers at the lateralsurface of a combing roller;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the principal portion ofFIG. 1, but illustrating a modified embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view showing a feed roller and a combingroller and illustrating an arrangement embodying the present inventionfor preventing the clogging of fibers at the lateral surfaces of saidrollers; and

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of principal portions of FIG. 3.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawingsshowing embodiments thereof.

A plurality of feed fibers consisting of staple fibers collected by acollector 1 of a fiber feed part are delivered by a feed roller '3 underthe control of a presser 2. The peripheral surface of a combing roller 5peripherally provided with a saw tooth wire 4 is positioned peripherallyadjacent to said feed roller 3 so that the fibers delivered from thefeed roller 3 are combed by the saw tooth wire 4 under the influence ofthe high speed rotation of said combing roller 5 so that they areparallelized while being separated and are transferred to a rotaryspinning chamber 8 via a working passageway 6.

A casing 7 has an air inlet channel 9 establishing communication betweenthe rotary spinning chamber 8 and the atmosphere. Part of the peripheralsurface of the combing roller is exposed to the central region of theair inlet channel 9. The fibers caught on the peripheral surface of thecombing roller 5 are stripped therefrom by an air stream in thedirection of arrow created in said air inlet channel 9 owing to thesubatmospheric pressure in the spinning chamber 8 and are transferred tothe spinning chamber 8 and collected on a fiber collecting surface 10.As the front end of a twisted yarn 16 leading from a package (not shown)reaches the fiber collecting surface 10 of the spinning chamber 8, thecollected fibers are caught by the front end of the twisted yarn 16 andwhile being twisted, they are successively and continuously 3 drawnthrough an opening 11 and wound as a spun yarn.

Now, in the aforesaid ringless spinning machine, since the combingroller rotates at a very high speed, the greater part of the lateralsurface 13 thereof perpendicular to the axis of a rotary shaft 12 isrecessed as shown in FIG. 1 to reduce the weight to a minimum, thusforming cavities between the wall 14 of the casing 7 and said lateralsurface 13.

During the operation of the spinning machine, the high speed rotation ofthe combing roller 5 causes the air in the cavities 15, thereby to becentrifugally discharged to creating a reduced pressure condition.However, as shown in FIG. 3, air communication between a returnpassageway 6 and the working passageway 6 is interrupted by the feedfibers at the fiber feed part, and the pressure in the return passageway6 is consequently much higher than the pressure in the workingpassageway 6.

Stated in more detail, a comparison of the pressures in the workingpassageway 6, return passageway 6 and cavities 15, respectively, showsthat, with reference to FIG. 3, approximately on the right-hand side ofa line L interconnecting a working point B and a substantial fiberstripping point C on the combing roller 5, the pressure in the cavities15 is higher than that in the working passageway 6 and that on theleft-hand side of the line L, the pressure in the cavities 15 is lowerthan that in the return passageway 6'. Thus, if Pa and Pb represent thepressures in the passageways 6 and 6', respectively, Pc the pressure inthe cavities 15, and P atmospheric pressure, then the following pressurerelation is obtained:

Therefore, in the region approximately on the left-hand side of the lineL, the air in the return passageway 6' flows into the cavities 15 andthen the air in the cavities flows into the working passageway 6. Theair flowing from the return passageway 6' contains a substantial amountof short fibers, which short fibers often accumulate in the cavities 15and in the clearance between the lateral surface 13 of the combingroller 5 and the casing wall 14. Moreover, when the subatmosphericpressure condition of the fiber transfer passageway changes to anatmospheric condition as the operation of the spinning machine isstopped, there occurs a phenomenon in which short fibers enter saidclearance and the cavities 15. That is, when the fiber transferpassageway resumes its atmospheric condition as a result of the stoppageof the spinning machine (the stoppage of the rotation of the rotaryspinning chamber), the working passageway 6 and return passageway 6'first resume their atmospheric condition, followed by the cavities 15.At this time, therefore, air flows from the passageways 6 and 6' intothe cavities 15 with the result that the short fibers and lint containedin said air are conveyed into said cavities 15. When the operation ofthe spinning machine is resumed and hence the combing roller 5 isrotated, the short fibres which have already entered cavities 15 are notsmoothly discharged as they adhere to the cavities 15 or settle in theclearance between the casing wall 14 and the lateral surface 13 of thecombing roller 5, thus assisting in short fibers adhering to andaccumulating in said clearance, thereby hindering the smooth rotation ofthe combing roller 5, causing damages to the machine and detracting fromthe quality of spun yarn.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention precludes thisphenomenon of short fiber entry by providing an air inlet hole 17 in thewall 14 of the casing 7 to establish communication between the cavities15 in the combing roller 5 and the atmosphere. Thus, although the air inthe cavities 15 is discharged under the combined action of centrifugalforce and fanning grooves 18 in the lateral surface of the combingroller 5 during the operation of the machine, the ambient air flows intosaid cavities 15 through the air inlet hole 17 owing to the pressuredifference, so that the degree of negativity of the pressure in thecavities 15 is alleviated and pressure relationship Pa Pc Pb P isimproved to become Pa Pb Pc P. As a result, the air stream directed fromthe return passageway 6 to the cavities 15 disappears and the phenomenonof short fibers entering the cavities also disappears. Further, in thecase Where the spinning machine is stopped, the pressure in the cavitiesfirst becomes atmospheric by the action of the air inlet hole 17, withthe result that the flow of air from the passageways 6 and 6'disappears, thus making it possible to prevent short fibers from thepassageways 6 and 6' from entering the cavities. Under the combinedaction of the centrifugal force on the combing roller 5 and inflow ofair through the air inlet hole 17 occurring simultaneously with therestarting of the operation, the air stagnant in the cavities 15 issmoothly discharged to the working passageway 6 or return passageway 6so that short fibers and lint will no longer stagnate in the cavities 15and the clearance between the casing wall 14 and the lateral surface 13of the combing roller 5.

The distribution of the subatmospheric pressure condition in theclearance between the lateral surface 13 and the casing wall 14corresponding thereto is such that the degree of negativity of thepressure becomes higher toward the shaft 12 of the combing roller 5.Therefore, it is preferable that said air inlet hole 17 be disposed asclose to the shaft 12 as possible. In this case it is desirable that theupper end of the shaft 12 be flush with the lateral surface 13 of thecombing roller 5 and that the air inlet hole be disposed immediatelyopposite the end of shaft 12.

Further, in the ringless spinning machine shown in FIG. 3 wherein thefeed roller 3 and the combing roller 5 are disposed adjacent each otherwithin the casing 7, the space extending from a region of adjacencybetween the feed roller 3 and the combing roller 5 to a position B wherea sliver is subjected to the opening and combing action of the combingroller 5 has poor circulation of air. Thus, the air tending to flow inthe return passageway 6' in the direction of rotation of the combingroller 5 as a result of the high speed rotation of the combing roller 5is substantially interrupted at said area of adjacency A, resulting in atendency to increase the pressure in the portion of the returnpassageway 6 nearer to the area of adjacency A, thus making it easierfor air to enter the cavities 15. Therefore, it is desirable that asuitable number of air inlet holes such as said air inlet hole 17 beadditionally provided in the casing wall 14 to be disposed adjacent andalong the return passageway 6'. This is advantageous since it is therebymade possible to hold back the air tending to enter the cavities 15. Inthis way the clogging of fibers at the lateral surface of the combingroller 5 can be prevented. On the other hand, however, the clogging offibers also occurs in the clearance between the casing wall 14 and thelateral surface of the feed roller 3 close to the combing roller 5. Thatis, as previously described, in FIG. 3 the space extending from the areaof adjacency A between the feed roller 3 and the combing roller 5 to theposition B where a sliver is subjected to the action of the combingroller 5 has poor circulation of air, so that the air tending to flow inthe return passageway 6 as a result of the high speed rotation of thecombing roller 5 is substantially interrupted at said area of adjacencyA thereby increasing the pressure in the passageway 6. Thus, the highspeed rotation of the combing roller 5 acts to cause the air in thereturn passageway 6 to flow into the clearance under relatively lowpressure between the lateral surface 19 of the feed roller 3 and thecasing wall 14. Moreover, this tendency becomes further pronounced sincethe feed roller 3 is disposed in the direction of inertia force of theair moving in the return passageway 6. In this case, a very small amountof fibers which are not stripped off at the previously stated strippingpoint C remain on the saw tooth wire 4 of the combing roller 5 passingthrough the return passageway 6. These remaining fibers and theair-borne short fibers flow into the clearance between the lateralsurface 19 of the feed roller and the casing wall 14 and settle thereincausing the clogging of cotton. As a result, it becomes difficult tocontrol the rotation of the feed roller 3 and such remaining fiberssometimes come out in a lump to join the feed sliver and enter theworking passageway 6, thus causing yarn breakage and defective yarnformation.

According to the invention, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an air inlet hole20 is provided in the casing wall 14 adjacent to the lateral surface 19of the feed roller 3, thereby enabling air to flow in from theatmosphere to prevent the entry of fibers into said clearance.

Since the spaces including the working passageway 6, return passageway6', etc. communicating with the spinning chamber 8 in a subatmosphericpressure condition established by the high speed rotation are under theinfluence of the subatmospheric pressure in the spinning chamber 8 andare, as a whole, in a subatmospheric pressure condition, air flows inthrough said air inlet hole 20 owing to the pressure difference relativeto the atmospheric pressure to increase the pressure in the clearancebetween the lateral surface 19 of the feed roller 3 and the casing wall14. Moreover, the air which has flowed in through the air inlet hole 20flows toward and working passageway whose pressure is lower than thepressure in said clearance, thereby preventing the entry of lint andshort fibers into said clearance.

The position where the air inlet hole 20 is bored is preferably aposition where the feed roller 3 and presser 2 are close to each other,and by this selection it is also possible to prevent the clogging offibers in the clearance between the presser 2 and the casing wall 14.

In the embodiments described above, some modes of the invention havebeen illustrated wherein the air inlet holes 17 and 20 are provided inboth casing walls 14 and 14' adjacent to the respective lateral surfaces13 and 19 of the combing roller and feed roller 3, but either one ofsaid casing walls 14 and 14' alone may be provided with such holes. 7

The invention may be embodied in other forms than said embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the invention defined in theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a continuous ringless spinning machine including a rotary spinningchamber having a fiber collecting surface therein and operating undersubatmospheric pressure, a fiber feed having a collector, a feed rollerand a combing roller for transferring fibers from said fiber feed tosaid rotary spinning chamber, each. of said rollers havingv lateraledges, and a casing surrounding said feed roller and said combing rollerand having lateral surfaces forming clearances with said lateral edgesof said roller, said casing having an air inlet channel extendingtherethrough tangentially to said combing roller and directed towardsaid rotary spinning chamber; the improvement comprising at least oneair inlet hole extending through said casing from the exterior thereofinto said clearances.

2. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said air inlet holeextends through said casing opposite said lateral edge of said combingroller.

3. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said combing roller ismounted in said casing by a shaft, and said air irflet hole extendsthrough said casing closely adjacent said shaft.

4. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein the periphery of saidcombing roller and the opposing surface of said casing form therebetweena passageway, and said air inlet hole extends through said casingadjacent said passageway between the area where said fibers are strippedfrom said combing roller and the area where said combing roller graspsnew fibers.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 1, wherein said air inlet holeextends through said casing opposite said lateral edge of said feedroller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,360,918 1/1968 Doudlebsky eta1. 57-5 895 3,381,463 5/1968 Fajt et a1 57-5895 3,439,488 4/ 1969 Bucilet a1 5758.95

JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5756, 58.95

